Edinburgh Licensing Board – Formal Consultation on Assessment of Overprovision (Extended to 05 October 2018)

Overview

The Edinburgh Licensing Board is consulting on the terms of its draft Statement of Licensing Policy, having carried out an informal consultation earlier in the year.

As part of this process, the Board is also consulting on its assessment of localities in the Board’s area which show characteristics of overprovision of licensed premises.

These two consultations are being carried out in tandem.

Details of the individual localities, and the basis upon which they’ve been considered, is set out in the supporting documentation provided with this consultation.

Why your views matter

The Edinburgh Licensing Board sits separately from the Council.  The Board is the licensing authority for premises selling alcohol in its geographical area.  The Board must agree a Statement of Licensing Policy which sets out how it will consider applications for licensed premises in its area, and all associated matters.  The Board must agree and publish its new policy in November 2018, and the Board must consult before agreeing its terms. 

The Policy Statement must include an assessment by the Board of the extent to which there is considered to be overprovision of licensed premises in any locality in the Board’s area.

This is your opportunity to contribute to the new policy, and the Board is keen to receive a wide range of responses.  This will build upon the informal consultation carried out by the Board earlier in the year.

The existing policy is available on the Board’s website, setting out in detail the various matters the Board has regard to when considering liquor licensing in its area and includes the existing overprovision assessment.  The Board’s new assessment of overprovision is now being provided for consultees to consider and comment upon.

What happens next

At the end of the consultation period, all responses will be provided to the Licensing Board to consider, together with the draft Statement of Licensing Policy.

Following the Board’s consideration of the policy and taking account of consultation responses, the final version of the new policy will be published at the end of November 2018.